Colonials Close Non-Conference Play with Aggressive Offensive Attack

WASHINON - The George Washington women's soccer team defeated district foe Howard, 2-0, on Friday afternoon to maintain an unbeaten record at the GW Soccer Field on the Mount Vernon Campus and wrap non-conference play with its second shutout of the season.

The Buff and Blue fired a season-high 24 shots, including 16 in the first half, while Howard (0-10-2) managed six shots total. Freshman goalkeeper Shannon Murphy - who made her first career start between the posts - stopped three shots to pick up her first career shutout.

GW (4-4-1) put on the offensive pressure from the start of the contest as the Colonials tallied the first two shots, the second of which found the back of the net to put them on the board early. In the third minute, freshman Amanda Gaggioli collected a loose ball inside the box and rolled it off her chest to classmate Kristi Abbate. Abbate buried the ball in the right side of the net for her second career goal to push GW to a 1-0 lead.

The Colonials recorded 14 more shots to close the half, compared to the Bison's two, but the teams went into the break with a 1-0 mark.

Midway through the second stanza sophomore Taylor Katz netted an insurance goal to secure the victory for GW. Katz lined up in front of Howard goalkeeper Kyra Dickinson and lobbed the ball over her fingertips into the goal for her first tally of the season.

In addition to out-shooting the Bison, GW held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks and forced Dickinson to make nine stops for Howard.

The Colonials open Atlantic 10 action next Friday, Sept. 28 when Richmond comes to the Mount Vernon Campus. The third of GW's five-match homestand is slated to kick off at 4 p.m.